Spinner-type fishing lures and wire and cable fishing leaders

ABSTRACT

An improved fishing lure employing a wire frame ( 10 ) having first ( 14 ) and second arms ( 16 ) that extend in divergent directions with respect to each other. A fish attracting element ( 18 ) and a hook ( 20 ) are secured to one arm ( 14 ), and a spinner ( 32 ) is attached to the other arm ( 16 ). The wire frame is formed of a nickel titanium alloy which provides flexibility and shape memory that are substantially greater than that provided by conventional stainless steel wire whereby when the lure is pulled through water, it has improved fish attracting action. Wire and cable fishing leaders formed of a nickel titanium alloy are disclosed which exhibit appreciable elongation and resistance to kinking and spiralling.

This application claim benefit to Provisional Application 60/032,917filed Dec. 6, 1996.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to fishing lures and to fishing leaders.More particularly, the present invention relates to a wire frame forspinner-type fishing lures having significant flexibility and shapememory as well as tensile strength. The present invention furtherconcerns wire and cable fishing leaders for connecting fishing line to afishing lure having resistance to kinking as well as significantflexibility and tensile strength.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to improvements in spinner-type fishing lures andto wire and cable fishing leaders that are used to attach a fishing lureor hook to the end of a fishing line. Artificial fishing lures areavailable in a wide variety of types, however, an exceedingly populartype of fishing lure is called the “spinner bait”. This type of fishinglure emphasizes the use of a spinner to increase the attractiveness ofthe lure to fish. The spinner is normally formed as a substantiallyseparate part of the lure, that is, the typical spinner bait is formedof a wire body having two arms that extend in a V-shape with the fishingline or leader attached to the wire body at the intersection of the twoarms. The two arms, usually formed of a single length of stainless steelwire, extend at an acute angle relative to each other. The typicalspinner bait has a body secured to one of the arms and a fish hookextending rearwardly from the body. The other arm of the spinner baithas one or more spinners attached to it. The typical spinner bait isdesigned so that when it is pulled through the water the spinner arm isvertically positioned above the body arm. A fish is attracted to themoving lure by the dramatic effect caused by the rotating, flashingspinners that rotate above the lure body which is fixed to, or is a partof, the frame body arm.

In recent years spinner baits have become exceedingly popular and haveconsumed, according to some reports, between 40 to 60% of the freshwater artificial bait market in the United States. The effectiveness ofa spinner bait appears to reside in its ability to attract fish to thedressed hook. More specifically, the increased action, vibration, soundand flash produced by a spinner bait, compared to other types ofartificial lures, seems to account for the spinner bait's success.

Substantially all of the spinner baits manufactured and sold in theUnited States and around the world today have a frame made of stainlesssteel wire which is a popular material for use in forming the frame of aspinner bait because of its ready availability, economy, strength andresistance to corrosion. However, spinner baits having a wire frame madeof stainless steel have certain disadvantages and limitations and it isan objective of the present disclosure to provide an improved spinnerbait having advantages that make the improved spinner bait substantiallysuperior to commonly available spinner baits that are made with astainless steel wire frame.

Another important item to fishermen is the leader by which a lure isattached to the end of a fishing line. Most fishing lines in use todayare made of synthetic materials, including nylon monofilament, braidednylon and braided polyester. In the past, fishing lines were made ofwoven cotton, linen or silk, but upon the development and readyavailability of extrudable polymers, the monofilament line hassubstantially replaced all other types of fishing lines.

In assembling a fishing rig, the fishing line is commonly attached tothe fishing lure or hook using a fishing leader. Although some anglersattach the fishing lure or hook directly to the end of the fishing line,the more experienced anglers use a fishing leader between the fishingline and the lure in order to protect the fishing line from abrasion andfraying. In particular, monofilament fishing line can be damaged throughengagement with a rock or other obstruction in the water, or from beingcut or frayed by the teeth, fins or tail of a fish.

Conventional fishing leaders are formed using nylon monofilament orstainless steel wire or cable. Nylon monofilament is more supple thanconventional metallic leaders, and further, is less visible andobtrusive, which is advantageous when attempting to attract fish.However, the same concerns that pertain to monofilament fishing lineapply to nylon monofilament fishing leaders in that nylon monofilamentis generally not as resistant to abrasion and fraying as is metallicwire or cable. Furthermore, the tensile strength of a particulardiameter of nylon monofilament is typically less than the tensilestrength of a metallic wire or cable of equal diameter.

Thus, high tensile strength metallic wire or cable is used in thoseinstances when nylon monofilament is likely to fail, for example, whenbig-game fishing, fishing for sharp toothed fish or where thesurrounding environment contains edged obstructions or heavy cover.Metallic leaders can be single-strand wire or multi-strand cable.Conventional metallic leaders are commonly constructed of stainlesssteel because of its high tensile strength, corrosion resistance, readyavailability and economy.

A significant problem with conventional stainless steel wire and cableleaders, however, is that the leaders frequently become bent, kinked orspiralled. Once a stainless steel leader is bent or kinked, it isdifficult to straighten, and moreover, attempts to repair the leader,can create cyclical stresses resulting in fatigue deformation and evenmechanical failure. If a leader becomes bent or kinked during use, theangler could lose not only a hooked fish, but also the fishing tackleattached to the leader which can be expensive to replace. Consequently,a bent or kinked fishing leader must be replaced immediately which canbe time consuming and infringe upon valuable fishing time. Also, it isdifficult to accurately cast a kinked or spiralled fishing leader whichcan impede the ability of the angler to accurately place the fishinglure.

Conventional stainless steel leaders also fail to exhibit anysignificant elongation when subjected to the forces commonly associatedwith fishing, such as a strike or contact with an obstruction in thewater. Consequently, conventional stainless steel leaders transfer thetension created by a hooked fish directly to the fishing line, therebyincreasing the likelihood of exceeding the recommended tensile strengthof the fishing line.

In seeking better materials for constructing fishing leaders, variouscombinations of synthetic materials and stainless steel wire or cablehave been suggested. One such example of a fishing leader is disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,305 to Christensen et al. which discloses aleader having a core of nylon multi-filaments surrounded by braidedstainless steel fibers, all of which is covered by a nylon sheathing.Although coating a metallic wire or cable with nylon initially increasesthe suppleness of the leader, as the coating deteriorates with use, thecable leader becomes less resistant to kinking.

Thus, there is a need for improved materials for use in the constructionof both fishing lures and fishing leaders. Such materials, when used inthe construction of a fishing lure, must be flexible and haveappreciable shape memory. Such materials, when used in the constructionof a fishing leader, must be capable of resisting kinking, bending orspiraling, yet be flexible so as not to significantly affect the actionof the fishing lure. These materials should also have a relatively hightensile strength and be resistant to corrosion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a fishing lure, characterized by highflexibility and shape memory, having a lure frame formed of an elongatewire which, in one preferred embodiment, is bent at an intermediatepoint forming a bight portion, so as to form two arms which extenddivergently from said bight portion to respective outer ends. Theelongate wire may be formed of an integral wire. At least one fishattracting element and at least one fish hook is secured to the elongatewire. The at least one fish attracting element is mounted to the wirefor rotation about the wire.

In another embodiment of the fishing lure the elongate wire includes aneyelet at one end, two bends of about 90° each along the length thereofso as to form a Z-shaped dog leg, and with the one fish attractingelement and the one fish hook being attached to the wire on the side ofthe dog leg opposite the eyelet.

The elongate wire comprises an alloy having superelastic properties suchthat the wire has a flexibility and shape memory substantially greaterthan that of stainless steel. In a preferred embodiment, the elongatewire comprises at least about 40% titanium and may further compriseabout 50 to 60% nickel, with other metals not exceeding about 5%. Thetensile strength of the elongate wire frame is at least about an orderof magnitude equal to that of stainless steel wire of equal diameter.The shape memory of the elongate wire frame is at least about threetimes that of stainless steel. The elongate wire also has a flexibilitythat is at least 50% greater than that of stainless steel such that theouter ends of the arms of the fishing lure can be deflected towards eachother with a force that is no greater than about 50% of the forcerequired if the elongate wire frame were formed of stainless steel wireof equal diameter.

The present invention further provides a fishing leader for joining afishing lure to a fishing line and characterized by high strength,flexibility and resistance to kinking. The fishing leader comprises anelongate wire-like member having opposite ends, each of the oppositeends including a loop for attachment to an element used in fishing. Asnap-swivel may be attached to one of the loops. A swivel may beattached to the other of the loops.

The elongate wire-like member is formed of an alloy having superelasticproperties such that the elongate wire-like member can be elongated atleast about 10% before breaking. The elongate wire-like member comprisesat least about 40% titanium and may further comprise at least about 50%nickel.

The elongate wire-like member may be either a solid wire or amulti-stranded cable. The cable may comprise a core formed of at leastone solid wire strand; an inner layer formed of a plurality of woundstrands, the inner layer adjacent and covering the core; and an outerlayer formed of a plurality of wound strands, the outer layer adjacentand covering the inner layer. The strands of the inner and outer layersmay be of the same or of different diameters. The strands of the innerand outer layer may have the same or a different lay.

A fishing rig characterized by high strength, flexibility and resistanceto kinking, is also provided. The rig comprises a lure comprising anelongate wire, at least one fish attracting element secured to the wire,at least one hook secured to the wire, and wherein the wire comprises analloy comprising at least about 40% titanium. The rig further comprisesa leader comprising a wire-like member having opposite ends, each of theopposite ends including a loop, with the lure being attached to one ofthe loops of the leader, and wherein the wire-like member comprises analloy comprising at least about 40% titanium. In one specificembodiment, the alloy of the wire of the lure comprises at least about40% titanium and at least about 50% nickel, and the alloy of thewire-like member of the leader comprises at least about 40% titanium andat least about 50% nickel. A snap-swivel may be provided for rotatablyjoining the one loop to the lure. A swivel may be attached to the otherof the loops, and so that the fishing line may be attached to theswitch.

Accordingly, there has been provided a spinner-type fishing lure havingsignificant flexibility and shape memory. There has also been providedwire and cable fishing leader having significant elongation andresistance to kinking and spiralling. In addition, both the spinner-typefishing lure and the wire and cable fishing leader are constructed of analloy having an appreciable tensile strength.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a typical spinner bait illustrating awire frame having a lower, body arm to which a lure body and a fish hookare attached and an upper, spinner arm to which one or more spinners areattached;

FIG. 2 is an alternate embodiment of a spinner bait formed of a wireframe with an upper spinner arm and a lower body arm and illustrating indotted outline, the advantages obtained by the spinner bait of thisinvention in which the wire frame and the spinners are arranged so as toincrease the action of the spinner bait as it moves through water;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lure body of FIG. 1 illustratingthe method of attachment of an eyelet at the end of a fish hook to theouter end of the wire frame body arm;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view illustrating an in-line spinner baitconstructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a method of testing materialsof which the wire frames of the fishing lures of FIGS. 1 and 2 are madewhen practicing this invention;

FIG. 6 shows a wire bent at an angle of 90° around a cylindricalmandrel;

FIG. 7 illustrates a comparison of the shape memory of two differenttypes of wire that can be employed in forming the frame of the fishinglures of FIGS. 1 and 2, one being the type presently employed incommercially available spinner baits and the other type employed inpracticing this invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates diagrammatically a type of test as employed tomeasure the flexibility, in contrast to stiffness, of different kinds ofwire used to form the wire frame of fishing lures of the typeillustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4;

FIG. 9 is a chart illustrating the relationship between stress andstrain as applied to a stainless steel wire of the type commonlyemployed for making spinner baits available on the market today, thegraph showing the relationship between stress and strain as stress isapplied and then removed from a wire using the bending test asillustrated in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a representative diagram of a type of wire applicable for animproved spinner bait of this invention illustrating the relationshipbetween the stress and strain applied to the wire using the four pointbending test illustrated in FIG. 8 as the wire is first stressed andthen released, showing, by comparing graphs of FIGS. 9 and 10, thedramatic difference in the shape memory of the improved type of wirecompared to stainless steel wire;

FIG. 11 is an elevation view illustrating an embodiment of a wirefishing leader, according to the present invention, as used to connect afishing line to a fishing lure;

FIG. 12 is a perspective cutaway view illustrating an embodiment of amulti-stranded cable fishing leader, according to the present invention;

FIG. 12A is an elevational view illustrating a loop formed at the end ofa fishing leader using a crimped sleeve;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view illustrating the positioning of the strandsin the cable fishing leader of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a plan cutaway view illustrating the helix angle of the outerlayer of the multi-stranded cable fishing leader of FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a plan cutaway view illustrating a variation in the helixangle of the multi-stranded cable fishing leader of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 16 is an exploded view illustrating a fishing kit containing thecomponents necessary to construct fishing leaders according to thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodimentsof the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied inmany different forms and should not be construed as to the embodimentsset forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that thisdisclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scopeof the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to likeelements throughout.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular, to FIG. 1, there isshown a typical spinner bait. More specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates thebasic configuration of a spinner bait, but is not intended to berepresentative of all of the features commonly found in a spinner bait.FIG. 1 is typical of a spinner bait in that it is formed of a wire framegenerally indicated by the numeral 10 that is bent in the form of aV-shape having a bight portion 12, a body arm 14 and a spinner arm 16.Using these three basic characteristics, that is, an integral wire framehaving a bight portion, a body arm and a spinner arm, a great variety ofspinner baits have been manufactured and are on the market today. Theshape of the bight portion 12 can vary considerably.

Affixed to the body arm 14 is a body 18 commonly formed of a solid,three-dimensional element intended to attract fish by replicating anaturally occurring fish food, such as a minnow. The body 18 can take onalmost an unlimited number of different physical appearances andtherefore, the body 18, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is merely emblematicof that usually employed on the body arm 14 of a spinner bait.

Extending rearwardly from the body 18 is a fish hook 20 having a barbedend 22 that extends upwardly towards the spinner arm 16. FIG. 3 showsthat in the preferred arrangement, the eyelet 24, formed as an integralpart of the typical fish hook, is received by a loop 26 formed in theouter end of the body arm 14. The body 18 is typically molded around thejoined fish hook eyelet 24 and a loop 26 formed in the outer end of thebody arm 14. Thus, the body 18 serves to retain the hook 20 in properangular relationship with respect to the body arm 14, however, tensilestrength applied to the hook is transferred, not to the body, but to thebody arm through the direct linkage of the hook to the body arm.

FIG. 1 shows that the body 18 is provided with a rearward extendingskirt 28 usually made up of thin plastic or rubber elements intended toimprove the fish attracting characteristics of the body. In a preferredembodiment, skirt 28 is formed of silicon strands and is removable tofacilitate replacement in the event the skirt becomes damaged or theangler needs to modify the appearance of the body 18.

The spinner arm 16 is, as the name implies, intended for the attachmentof one or more spinners. The spinner arm 16 has, at its outer end, aneyelet 30 as a means for attaching a spinner. In the illustratedarrangement a spinner 32, normally made of thin, highly reflective metaland bent so as to cause it to rotate as the lure is pulled throughwater, is attached to the eyelet 30 by means of a swivel 34.

More than one spinner can be secured to the spinner arm 16. Forinstance, in FIG. 1, a second spinner 36 is secured by a wire clevis 38to spinner arm 16. Spacer beads 40 are slidably received on the spinnerarm 16 to correctly position the second spinner 36 with respect to thearm. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, when the lure is pulled through water,the second spinner 36 will move rearwardly on the spinner arm until therearward most spacer bead 40 engages the eyelet 30.

The lure depicted in FIG. 1 is emblematic of spinner baits commonlyemployed today. The invention herein resides not in the arrangement ofthe lure of FIG. 1 but in the construction of the lure whichdramatically increases its effectiveness, utility and durability.

Before discussing the details of the innovations which constitute theessence of the invention, a brief reference will first be made to FIG. 2which shows an improved spinner bait, different from FIG. 1 in the shapeof the spinner arm, as well as, and more importantly, in the way thespinners are secured to the spinner arm. In FIG. 2, spinner arm 16A hastwo 90° bends therein intermediate the curved bight portion 12A and theeyelet 30 forming an integral dog leg portion 42. By means of a spacerbead 40A, a second swivel 36A is rotatably positioned on spinner arm 16prior to the dog leg 42. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, spinners 32A and36A are different in an important way than those illustrated in FIG. 1.In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the first spinner 32A is secured, not bymeans of a swivel, but by an opening 44 therein that receives spinnerarm 16A. In like manner, the second spinner 36A has an opening 46 hatreceives spinner arm 16A. This arrangement causes both spinners 32A and36A to rotate completely circumferentially around spinner arm 16A as thelure is pulled through, water. By employing spinners that have openingstherein that receive the spinner arm to thereby cause the spinners torotate completely around the spinner arm, increased action of thespinner arm is obtained as indicated by the dotted outline of the upperand lower positions of the spinner arm. The upper position beingindicated by the numeral 48 and the lower position by the numeral 50.

This increased action as the lure is pulled through water, increases thespinner arms vibration resulting in the production of increased sound.Further, the vibration of the spinner arm causes the spinners 32A and36A to produce more action and flash. When the benefits of the method ofmounting spinners to a spinner arm (as illustrated in FIG. 2) arecombined with the advantages of a spinner arm having increasedflexibility, as disclosed herein, a synergistic result is achievedproducing a spinner bait having a significantly increased ability toattract fish.

A further variation of the spinner type fishing lure is the in-linespinner. Conventional in-line spinners have a straight metallic frame,typically constructed of stainless steel wire, extending from an eyeletto the body of the lure. A spinner is secured to the wire frame of thein-line spinner using a wire clevis. When using in-line spinners, oneproblem encountered by anglers is that the in-line spinner lure has atendency to rotate about the axis of the fishing line as it movesthrough the water. The rotation of the in-line spinner causes thefishing line to become twisted which can adversely affect the action ofthe lure.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown an improved in-line spinner whicheffectively avoids twisting of the fishing line. The in-line spinner 52includes a wire frame 54 having two 90° bends between the eyelet 56 andthe body 58 forming a Z-shaped dog leg 60. A spinner 62 may be securedby means of an opening 64 therein that receives the wire frame 54, oralternatively, the spinner may be secured to the wire frame using a wireclevis (not shown). Spacer beads 66 are slidably received on the wireframe 54 to correctly position the spinner. Most in-line spinner luresinclude a treble hook 68 which can be secured to the wire frame 54 inthe same manner as the hook 20, shown in FIG. 3, is connected to wireframe 14.

The Z-shaped dog leg 60 offsets the body 58 and the spinner 62 from theaxis of the fishing line which effectively prevents the lure fromrotating about that axis and thereby twisting the line. The use of aZ-shaped dog leg 60, as illustrated in FIG. 4, could not be accomplishedwith conventional stainless steel frames because stainless steel has arelatively low resistance to cyclical fatigue. However, an in-linespinner constructed according to the present invention has significantflexibility and resistance to cyclical fatigue, thus allowing the lureto effectively perform in the disclosed configuration.

As previously indicated, commercial embodiments of spinner baits employa wire frame which is commonly made of stainless steel wire. Alsopreviously indicated, stainless steel has the advantages of strength,corrosion resistance, ready availability and economy. Although spinnerbaits employing stainless steel wires have generally been effective, asevidenced by the wide popularity of spinner baits, the stainless steelwire frames of commercially available spinner baits are easily deformedor distorted. In an attempt to increase the flexibility of the wireframe of a spinner bait made of stainless steel, some models haveincluded a frame in which the arm having a spinner thereon is tapered,that is, the diameter of the wire is reduced in the direction towardsthe spinner. While tapering one or both arms of a stainless steel wireframe helps improve a spinner bait, nevertheless, it has been discoveredthat the effectiveness of a spinner bait can be substantially anddramatically improved by improving the characteristics of the wire frameof which the spinner bait is formed. Further, the arms of the improvedwire frame do not have to be tapered. In short, the essence of thisinvention is a spinner bait having a significantly improved wire framein which the wire frame is formed of a metal alloy completely dissimilarfrom stainless steel in at least two significant characteristics. First,a wire frame is disclosed that has a shape memory at least three timesgreater than stainless steel. Second, a wire frame is disclosed that hasflexibility at least about 50% greater than stainless steel. The wireframe of this invention has an ultimate tensile strength or breakingstrength which, although not equal to that of stainless steel, is of thesame order of magnitude as the breaking strength of stainless steel.

The spinner bait of this invention provides improved characteristics ascompared with known types of spinner baits, particularly those made ofstainless steel. The improved spinner bait is more effective inattracting fish. This characteristic is achieved by the significantlyincreased flexibility of the wire frame. As illustrated in FIG. 2, byemploying a wire frame 10 of great flexibility, the spinner arm 16A isfree to flex at a substantially greater degree with respect to the bodyarm 14 as the lure is pulled through water, as illustrated by the dottedoutlines 48 and 50 of the spinner arm. This increased flexibilityaugments the action of spinners 32A and 36A, or any other type ofspinners that are secured to the spinner arm 16. The increased actionachieved by significantly increased flexibility of the wire frameattracts fish by motion as well as by increased sound and vibrationwhich is produced by the lure moving through water.

When a fish strikes the lure, the mouth of the fish (at least some ofthe time) grasps the lure in such a way that the spinner arm 16 must bedeflected sufficient to enable the mouth of the fish to close upon thebody 18 and the hook 20. The increased flexibility achieved by the wireframe of this invention thereby increases the chances that fish willclose upon the hook and that the spinner arm 16 will not interfere withthe catch of a striking fish.

When a lure is cast by an angler, the lure frequently strikes objects inthe water, such as rocks, or engages objects as it is pulled through thewater. Consequently, the arms 14 and 16 are frequently bent. Further,when a spinner bait is struck by a fish or in the landing of a fish, thespinner bait arms are frequently bent or distorted. When the arms of aspinner bait become crooked or out of alignment such that the arms arenot in a uniform plane, the lure, when pulled through water, may nottravel in a vertical plane, causing the lure to move in such a way as todecrease the effectiveness of the lure. A deformed spinner bait lure canmove through water with the arms horizontal with respect to each otheror at other angles. For this reason, anglers using spinner baitsavailable on the market today are frequently required to rebend orreshape the spinner arms. Not only is this time consuming but it issometimes difficult to realign a spinner bait so that it performs to thedegree intended by the manufacturer. By the provision of an improvedwire frame having greatly improved shape memory, the possibility of thewire frame being distorted to the point where the lure fails to functionis significantly minimized.

FIGS. 5 through 8 show how some important characteristics of a metalalloy are determined. FIGS. 5 through 7 particularly, show how the shapememory characteristic of a metal alloy is measured. FIG. 5 shows a wire70 that is a candidate for use to form a wire frame 10 of a spinnerbait. The wire 70 is initially straight and is placed against acylindrical mandrel 72. The wire 70 can be of various diameters,however, spinner baits of the type commonly employed particularly forfresh water fishing in the United States and in other countries of theworld, typically employ a wire diameter of about 0.035 inches. Thespinner bait of the present invention preferably employs a wire framehaving a diameter between about 0.03 to 0.05 inches. The mandrel 72typically has a diameter of 0.25 inches. To evaluate a wire 70, it isbent at an angle of 90° around mandrel 72 to the position shown in FIG.6. Bending is accomplished utilizing a straight edge, that is, the firstpart of the wire 70 is maintained straight and the wire is bent so thatthe bent portion 70A extends in a straight line with respect to themandrel 72. After bending, the wire 70 is released and the angle withrespect to the horizontal to which the wire returns is measured. In FIG.7, the angle to which a typical stainless steel wire returns isindicated by the numeral 74. On the average, this angle is generallyabout 15°, indicating a permanent deformation of about 75°. In contrast,a preferred wire, according to this invention, for use in forming theframe of an improved spinner bait has shape memory so that the wirereturns, on the average, to an angle of about 85° to the horizontal asindicated by the numeral 76. In other words, the wire has a permanentdeformation of only about 5° after having been bent to an angle of 90°.This dramatically improved shape memory insures that a lure formed ofthe improved wire frame when bent, for any reason, is substantially lesslikely to result in a permanent deformation of the shape of the frame.

While FIGS. 5 through 7 have been described in terms of a shape memoryof a wire, this characteristic is sometimes referred to as “springback”but, in any event, a wire that meets the requirements of this inventionfor use in making a frame of a spinner bait must have a springback orshape memory that is at least three times greater than that of stainlesssteel.

The next important characteristic of the improved wire frame for aspinner bait of this invention is the flexibility of the wire of whichthe frame is formed. Flexibility has two important functions inachieving an improved fishing lure. First, by increased flexibility theaction of the lure is substantially improved as the lure moves throughwater, as has been previously described with reference to FIG. 2, inwhich the dotted outlines 48 and 50 of spinner arm 16 show how thespinner arm can flex.

The second major advantage of increased flexibility of the wire frame isthat it enhances the fish catching capability of the lure. A fishnormally strikes a lure with its mouth fully open. When closing upon thelure, it is necessary in many instances that the fish fully deflect thearms of the frame towards each other in order to bend the spinner arm 16towards the body arm 14 sufficiently to fully expose end 22 of hook 20.Stated in another way, the spinner arm 16 must be displaced so that thehook 20 is fully exposed to enable the hooks to be engaged by the mouthof a striking fish. When the frame is constructed, in accordance withthe principal of this invention, of a metal alloy that providessignificantly increased flexibility, the force required to move thespinner arm 16 in order to fully expose the hook 22 is substantiallyreduced, this diminishing the possibility that the fish strike will notresult in capture of the fish. Referring to FIG. 1, and assuming thatthe body 18 is held stationary, the force necessary to close the spinnerarm 16 downwardly to expose the barbed end 22 of hook the 20 isindicated by the numeral 78. In the practice of this invention, when thewire frame 10 is configured to have a spinner arm 16 with a length ofabout 2⅛″ from the bight portion 12 to the eyelet 30, and the frame ismade of a wire having a diameter of about 0.035 inches, the force 78should not exceed about 250 grams. This force is in the range of about50% of a force 78 required if the frame 10 is constructed usingstainless steel wire.

An additional characteristic of the wire frame 10 is that it must beformed of a metal having a sufficient tensile strength to hold a largefish without breaking. In general, the tensile strength of the metal ofwhich frame 10 is formed must exceed that of the strongest fishing linethat would be used with the lure. Stainless steel wire of about 0.035inch diameter has been more or less the standard utilized for spinnerbait lures and the wire of which the frame of the lure of this inventionis formed must have a comparable breaking strength, that is, it musthave a breaking strength at least of the same order of magnitude as thatof stainless steel.

In summary, the improved spinner bait of this invention has a frame 10that is characterized, as compared with the most commonly availableexisting spinner baits, by: (a) a springback or shape memory at leastabout three times greater than stainless steel; (b) a flexibility of atleast 50% greater than stainless steel or, stated in another way, has astiffness which is at least about 50% less than stainless steel; and (c)a tensile strength that is of the same order of magnitude as that ofstainless steel.

Tests have shown that the improved spinner bait of this invention can beachieved when the frame 10 is formed of a wire made of an alloy thatpossesses superelastic properties. Superelasticity describes theproperty of an alloy to return to its original shape upon unloadingafter a substantial deformation. For example, a superelastic alloy canbe strained ten times more than stainless steel without beingplastically deformed. Superelasticity in alloys of nickel and titaniumis caused by the formation of a stress induced martensite, which can bebrought about through cold working with a subsequent heat treatment atapproximately 400-600 degrees Celsius. This process is described indetail in the article, Dietr Stoeckel and Weikang Yu, Superelastic Ni-TiWire, Wire Journal International, Mar. 1991, pp. 45-50, which isincorporated herein by reference.

It has been determined that wire made of a metal alloy comprising atleast about 40% titanium, and preferably also about 50% nickel, meetsthe requirements of this invention. Successful results have beenachieved utilizing an alloy that is about 45% titanium with the balancenickel and small amounts of copper, iron, chromium, vanadium, hafniumand/or palladium. The preferred alloy is about 50-60% nickel, and about40-50% titanium, with other metals not exceeding 5%.

As previously stated two important requirements of the metal alloy ofwhich the wire frame is formed are flexibility and shape memory. It hasbeen determined that alloys in which the percent of titanium is greaterhas improved shape memory whereas when the percentage of nickel isgreater, flexibility is increased. Therefore, there is a trade offbetween flexibility and shape memory according to the percentages ofnickel and titanium and consequently a good compromise to achieve ahighly improved spinner bait utilizes a wire frame of about 55% nickeland about 45% titanium with minor amounts of other metals making up thealloy.

A commercially available alloy that meets the requirements of the wireframe of the improved spinner bait is commonly referred to as NITINOL,an alloy that was developed in about 1960 by the United States NavalOrdinance Laboratory at Silver Springs, Md. The term “NITINOL” isderived from Ni—nickel; Ti—titanium; N—naval; O—ordinance andL—laboratory. NITINOL wire is commercially available from Sports Wire,located in Langley, Okla. This commercially available NITINOL wire isrolled and heat treated to provide a wire that is tempered with thegrain of the metal in a longitudinal axis to enhance the shape memorycharacteristic of this metal, flexibility and shape memory beingprogrammed into the wire through chemistry and cold working. Theresultant NITINOL wire is highly resistant both to wear and to impactdeformation.

The characteristics of a wire formed of an alloy comprising nickel andtitanium, which has about 55% nickel and about 45% titanium isillustrated in FIG. 10. This chart shows that as strain is applied tothe wire, using a test procedure such as the procedure as illustrated inFIG. 8, the wire springs back to near its original linear configuration.The chart of FIG. 9 shows that, in contrast, a deflection of a stainlesssteel wire results in a substantial permanent deformation of the wire.Further, the charts of FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the differentstrain/stress response characteristics of a wire formed of a nickel andtitanium alloy as compared to a stainless steel wire.

Another important characteristic of a spinner bait made according to theprincipals of this invention, wherein the wire frame is formed of anickel and titanium alloy is that the improved wire frame can supportmany more bending cycles, without breaking, than can stainless steelunder the same cyclical stress conditions. Preliminary tests haverevealed that a wire formed of a nickel and titanium alloy is capable ofundergoing 200 or more bending cycles, while a wire formed of stainlesssteel and having the same diameter can generally undergo only 5-10bending cycles. Further, stainless steel undergoes a greater reductionin tensile strength after having been bent than does a wire formed of anickel and titanium alloy.

Alternatively, an alloy commonly referred to as “beta titanium” may alsobe used in the construction of wire frame 14 according to the presentinvention. Such an alloy may for example comprise at least about 40%titanium, and may be predominately titanium, with the remainder of thealloy being formed of a stabilizing alloying element such as manganese,iron, chromium, cobalt, nickel, copper, aluminum, tin and zirconium.Further disclosure of the properties of “beta titanium” is set forth inBurstone et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,643 issued Apr. 15, 1980, which isincorporated herein by reference.

Another aspect of this invention is an improved fishing leader for usein attaching a fishing lure to the end of a fishing line, arepresentative leader being shown in FIG. 11. Referring to FIG. 11,there is shown a fishing leader 80, according to the present invention,attached at one end to a fishing line 82 and at the other end to afishing lure 84 of the type described above. The fishing leader 80 is anelongate wire-like member which can be constructed of either asingle-strand solid wire 88, or as is shown in FIG. 12, a multi-strandedcable 90.

A swivel 92 may be attached to one or both ends of the fishing leader 80in order to rotatively attach the leader to the fishing line 82 and/orthe fishing lure 84. The swivel 92, when used to join the fishing leader80 to the fishing line 82, prevents both the leader and the line frombecoming twisted or spiralled during use. Similarly, a swivel 92 used tojoin the fishing leader 80 to the fishing lure 84 will prevent theleader from becoming twisted or spiralled as a result of the spinning orvibratory action of the lure as well as prevent the leader fromaffecting the fish attracting movement of the lure. As illustrated inFIG. 11, swivels 92 are available in many different shapes and sizes andare selected depending on the type fish the angler intends to catch.

A snap 100 may be used either alone or in conjunction with a swivel 92.The snap 100 is used to facilitate connecting a fishing lure 84 or ahook (not shown) quickly and easily. A snap 100 may also be used toconnect one or more fishing leaders 80 in series. The combination of asnap 100 and a swivel 92 is commonly known as a snap-swivel.

The fishing leader 80 may be attached to the swivel 92 by either tyingthe leader directly to the eyelet 94 of the swivel as is shown in FIG.11, or alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12A, by threading the end of theleader through the eyelet and then forming a loop 96 at the end of theleader. The loop 96 is secured using one or more sleeves 98 which aresecurely crimped around the leader. The sleeves 98 are available invarious sizes and are selected based on the diameter of the fishingleader 80. A loop 96 may be used whether the fishing leader 80 is formedof solid wire 88 or cable 90. The sleeve 98 is crimped using a crimpingtool as is well known in the art. The size of the loop 96 may vary andtypically depends on the size of the swivel 92. However, the loop shouldnot be overly large in order to avoid distracting the fish.

The length of the fishing leader 80 is generally a function of the sizeand type of the fish the angler intends to catch as well as theexistence of any edged obstructions in the water, including rocks orheavy vegetation. As such, it is desirable in some instances for anangler to be able to purchase the materials necessary to constructfishing leaders 80 of varying lengths. Referring to FIG. 16, a fishingleader kit 102 would include a spool 104 of either solid wire 88 orcable 90, along with a plurality of swivels 92, sleeves 98, and snaps100. In constructing a fishing leader 80, the desired length of leadermaterial, whether it be solid wire 88 or cable 90, is cut from the spool104. Although the ends of the fishing leader 80 may be tied directly toeither the fishing line 82 or the fishing lure 84, it is preferable toform loops 96 at both ends of the leader. The loops 96 are formed usingsleeves 98. A swivel 92 can be connected to each loop 96 by threadingthe leader material through the eyelet 94 of the swivel when forming theloop. Lastly, the sleeves 98 are securely crimped using a conventionalcrimping tool, also known as crimping pliers, which may be obtained atmost tackle shops.

As previously indicated, the fishing leader 80, according to the presentinvention, may advantageously be formed of either a single-strand solidwire 88 or a multi-stranded cable 90. Both the wire 88 and the cable 90are constructed of a highly elastic and ductile alloy having significantshape memory and flexibility as well as resistance to kinking. Morespecifically, it has been determined that a wire 88 or a cable 90 madeof an alloy formed of both titanium and nickel, wherein nickel is about55-56% of the composition and the balance is titanium, provides at least50% greater flexibility than that provided by stainless steel, is moreresistant to kinking and spiralling than stainless steel, while at thesame time providing a tensile strength of the same order of magnitude asthat provided by stainless steel.

As with the spinner-type fishing lure of the present invention,successful results have been achieved utilizing an alloy that is atleast about 40% titanium, and preferably also about 50% nickel. As aspecific example, a preferred alloy is about 45% titanium and 55% nickelwith minor amounts of other metals including copper, iron, chromium,vanadium, hafnium and/or palladium making up the remainder of the alloy.The preferred alloy is about 50-60% nickel, and about 40-50% titaniumwith other metals not exceeding 5%. Such an alloy has the advantages ofsignificantly increased flexibility and shape memory so that thepossibility of permanent deformation of the leader is greatly reduced.As such, a fishing leader 80, constructed according to the presentinvention, can support many more bending cycles than a similar leaderconstructed of stainless steel, up to several hundred, without breaking,thus substantially increasing the useful life expectancy of the fishingleader.

A fishing leader wherein wire 88 or cable 90 is made of a nickel andtitanium alloy of about 55% nickel and about 45% titanium can bestretched or elongated at least about 10% or greater of its lengthwithout permanent deformation. This is compared to stainless steel wirecommonly employed for fishing leaders which can usually tolerateelongation of not more than about 3% without breaking or permanentdeformation. Stainless steel cable commonly employed for fishing leaderscan usually tolerate elongation of not more than about 5% withoutbreaking or permanent deformation. The ability of the wire 88 or cable90 to stretch or elongate reduces the strain applied to the fishing line82 and to the fishing lure 84 when a fish strikes, thereby reducing thepossibility of the fish breaking either the lure or the line. Further,the elongation reduces the chance that a fish will tear loose from thelure 84, that is, the successful capture rate of fish striking a lure isenhanced by the fishing leader 80 having greater elasticity.

As previously indicated, a commercially available alloy that meets therequirements of the fishing leader 80 according to the present inventionis referred to as NITINOL and is commercially available from SportsWire, Langley, Okla. A nickel and titanium alloy, as exemplified bycommercially available NITINOL, is preferred for use in forming thefishing leader 10 of the present invention. Alternatively, an alloycommonly referred to as “beta titanium” may also be used in theconstruction of the fishing leader 80 according to the presentinvention. As previously indicated, such an alloy is at least about 40%titanium, with the remainder of the alloy being formed of a stabilizingalloying element such as manganese, iron, chromium, cobalt, nickel,copper, aluminum, tin and zirconium.

Referring now to FIGS. 12 and 13, it has been determined that a fishingleader 80 constructed of a nickel and titanium alloy in the form of amulti-stranded cable 90 provides exceptional resistance to kinking, aswell as high tensile strength, and flexibility. Preferably, the cable 90is formed of a core 106, an inner layer 110 and an outer layer 114. Thecore 106 is formed of one or more individual strands 108. In oneembodiment, where the cable 90 is 36.5 pound test, the core 106 isformed of a single strand 108 of #1 NITINOL wire having an approximatediameter of 0.006 inches. Alternatively, where the cable 90 is 50 or80-100 pound test, the core 106 may be formed of a single strand 108 of#1 NITINOL wire having an approximate diameter of 0.007 or 0.0094inches, respectively. However, it should be noted that the number ofstrands 108 as well as the strand diameter may be modified to obtaingreater or less pound test cable 90. Where more than one strand 108 isutilized, the strands may be aligned in a parallel relation, twisted orbraided.

The inner layer 110, which is formed adjacent to and around the core106, is constructed of a plurality of strands 112 that are wrapped at apredetermined pitch and helix angle. In order to obtain variations inthe diameter and flexibility as well as in the pound test of the cable90, the number of individual strands 112, the strand diameter and thepitch may be varied. In one embodiment, where the cable 90 is 36.5 poundtest, the inner layer 110 is formed of six strands 112 of #1 NITINOLwire, each strand having an approximate diameter of 0.006 inches. Thestrands are wrapped using a left hand lay having a pitch ofapproximately 0.050 inches. Alternatively, where the cable 90 is 50 or80-100 pound test, the inner layer 110 may be formed of six strands 112of #1 NITINOL wire, each strand having an approximate diameter of 0.007or 0.0094 inches, respectively.

The outer layer 114, which is formed adjacent to and around the innerlayer 110, is constructed of a plurality of strands 116 that are alsowrapped at a predetermined pitch and helix angle. In order to obtainvariations in the diameter and flexibility as well as in the pound testof the cable 90, the number of individual strands 116, the stranddiameter and the pitch may be varied. In one embodiment, where the cable90 is 36.5 pound test, the outer layer 114 is formed of six strands 116of #1 NITINOL wire, each strand having an approximate diameter of 0.006inches. The strands are wrapped using a left hand lay having a pitch ofapproximately 0.062 inches. Alternatively, where the cable is 50 or80-100 pound test, the outer layer 114 may be formed of six strands 116of #1 NITINOL wire, each strand having an approximate diameter of 0.007or 0.0094 inches, respectively.

In an alternate embodiment of a 50 or 80-100 pound test cable (notshown), the outer layer may be formed of six strands of #1 NITINOL wire,each strand having an approximate diameter of 0.007 or 0.0094 inches,respectively. The outer layer is wrapped around a braid or core bundleof three or more strands, each core strand having a diameter smallerthan the diameter of the strands used to form the outer layer such thatthe total diameter of the core is equal to or greater than the diameterof an individual outer layer strand.

Further variations in stiffness, strength and springiness may beobtained by varying the lay of the inner layer 110 and the outer layer114. Specifically, where the inner layer 110 and the outer layer 114 arewound in the same direction, known as a “lang-lay”, the cable 90 used toform the fishing leader 80 will have greater suppleness and springinessthan where the inner layer and the outer layer are wound in differentdirections, known as a “regular lay”. Moreover, where the direction oflay of the inner layer 110 and the outer layer 114 is the same, theindividual strands 112, 116 are less likely to wear excessively and thusthe strength of the cable 80 is improved. Notably, using the samedirection of lay for both layers in conventional cables or wire ropeshas typically made the cable or wire rope more susceptible to kinking oruntwisting when compared to cables or wire ropes using a regular lay. Ithas been determined, however, that using a metal alloy of nickel andtitanium to form the individual strands 112, 116 results in a cable 90that has superior resistance to kinking, even when formed using a“lang-lay”.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, it will be noted that variations in thehelix angle of the wrap of the outer layer will also adjust thestiffness and ability of the cable 90 to elongate during use. A cable 90having a smaller helix angle will have a greater flexibility andelongation than will a cable having a larger helix angle.

Once constructed, the cable 90 should be subjected to a heatstraightening process carried out at a temperature of between 450-500degrees Celsius. This heat treating process relieves the stressescreated in the individual strands from the winding process.Additionally, it should be noted that when the NITINOL wire or strandsare drawn down to the finished diameter, prior to formation into thefinished cable 90, the strands are subjected to a heat treatment atapproximately 400-650 degrees Celsius in order to transform the alloyinto a superelastic material. The strands can also be subjected to anetching process whereby the strands are bathed in a mild acidicsolution, and are then rinsed.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, itwill be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited theretosince modifications may be made by those skilled in the art,particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. It is thereforecontemplated, by the appended claims, to cover any such modificationsthat incorporate those features of these improvements in the true spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fishing lure comprising: a lure frame formed ofan integral length of metal wire having first and second arms, with saidarms extending divergently from a curved bight portion to respectiveouter ends; at least one fish attracting element secured to said firstarm; at least one fish hook secured to said second arm; and wherein saidwire comprises an alloy comprising at least about 40% titanium and atleast about 50% nickel, so that the fishing lure comprises shape memoryat least about three times greater than stainless steel.
 2. A fishinglure according to claim 1 wherein said alloy comprises about 50 to 60%nickel, and about 40 to 50% titanium, with other metals not exceedingabout 5%, and wherein said wire has a diameter between about 0.03 to0.05 inches.
 3. A fishing lure according to claim 1 wherein said lureframe comprises an alloy having superelastic properties.
 4. A fishinglure according to claim 1 wherein said one fish attracting element ismounted to said wire for rotation about the wire.
 5. A fishing lurecomprising: a lure frame formed of an integral length of metal wirehaving first and second arms, with said arms extending divergently froma curved bight portion to respective outer ends; a first fish attractingelement secured to said first arm; a second fish attracting elementsecured to said second arm; a fish hook secured to one of said arms; andwherein said metal wire comprises an alloy comprising at least about 40%titanium and at least about 50% nickel such that the metal wire has aflexibility and shape memory substantially greater than that ofstainless steel, whereby the lure exhibits improved fish attractingaction when pulled through water.
 6. A fishing lure according to claim 5wherein said alloy comprises about 50 to 60% nickel and about 40 to 50%titanium.
 7. A fishing lure according to claim 5 wherein said lure frameis formed of wire having a shape memory that is at least about threetimes that of stainless steel.
 8. A fishing lure according to claim 5wherein said lure frame is formed of wire having a flexibility that isat least 50% greater than that of stainless steel.
 9. A fishing lureaccording to claim 5 wherein said lure frame has flexibility such thatsaid outer ends of said arms can be deflected towards each other with aforce that is no greater than about 50% of the force required if saidframe is formed of stainless steel wire of equal diameter.
 10. A fishingrig characterized by high strength, flexibility and resistance tokinking, the rig comprising: a lure comprising: an integral length ofmetal wire having first and second arms, with said arms extendingdivergently from a curved bight portion to respective outer ends; atleast one fish attracting element secured to said first arm; at leastone fish hook secured to said second arm; and wherein wire comprises analloy comprising at least about 40% titanium and at least about 50%nickel, so that the fishing lure comprises shape memory at least aboutthree times greater than stainless steel; and a leader comprising: anelongate member having opposite ends, each of the opposite endsincluding a loop, with said lure being attached to one of said loops ofsaid leader.
 11. The fishing rig according to claim 10 furthercomprising a snap-swivel rotatably joining said one loop to said lure.12. The fishing rig according to claim 11 further comprising a swivelattached the other of said loops.
 13. The fishing rig according to claim10 wherein said elongate member of said leader comprises an alloycomprising at least about 40% titanium.
 14. The fishing rig according toclaim 13 wherein said elongate member of said leader comprises an alloycomprising at least about 40% titanium and at least about 50% nickel, sothat said leader comprises high strength, flexibility and resistance tokinking.
 15. A fishing lure comprising: a lure frame formed of anintegral length of metal wire having first and second arms, with saidarms extending divergently from a curved bight portion to respectiveouter ends; at least one fish attracting element secured to said firstarm; at least one fish hook secured to said second arm; and wherein saidwire comprises an alloy comprising at least about 40% titanium and atleast about 50% nickel so that the fishing lure comprises flexibilityand shape memory such that said wire has a recovery percentage of atleast about 94% after being bent around a cylindrical mandrel to anangle of approximately 90 degrees.
 16. A fishing lure according to claim15 wherein said alloy comprises about 50 to 60% nickel, and about 40 to50% titanium, with other metals not exceeding about 5% and, wherein saidwire has a diameter between about 0.03 to 0.05 inches.
 17. A fishinglure according to claim 15 wherein said lure frame comprises an alloyhaving superelastic properties.
 18. A fishing lure according to claim 15wherein said lure frame is formed of wire having a flexibility that isat least 50% greater than that of stainless steel.
 19. A fishing lureaccording to claim 15 wherein said one fish attracting element ismounted to said wire for rotation about the wire.